Report: Apple to announce 10.5-inch iPad in "early" April

As we near the middle of March, expectations and rumors continue to grow surrounding Apple’s iPad lineup.

As ZDNet’s David Gewirtz notes, a spring Apple event is likely, though the exact timing is a mystery.

Today’s rumor comes from DigiTimes, which is reporting Apple has moved production of a 10.5-inch iPad from the May or June timeframe to March.

The report goes on to say the new iPad is expected to be announced at an event in “early April,” using Apple’s new headquarters. The event would presumably be held at Steve Jobs Theater.

The rumor matches up with the already announced April opening for the spaceship-style campus, and what better way to show it than by hosting a special event?

What’s unknown right now is if the event will focus solely on the 10.5-inch iPad, or if refreshed 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models will also make an appearance.

According to DigiTimes, the 10.5-inch tablet will target business and education users, two areas where the company will need to succeed if it wants to get back to growing tablet sales.

Apple declined to comment.

In recent days, TechCrunch reported four new iPad models showing up in web logs, while MacRumors is reporting its sources claim new iPads will be announced as soon as next week — with or without a special event.

In other words, at this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Apple is truly planning. One thing we do know, however, is that there’s an awful lot of evidence to suggest new iPads are just around the corner.